U.S. patent number 6,488,247 [Application Number 09/900,837] was granted by the patent office on 2002-12-03 for supporting system for air conditioning register boxes.
Invention is credited to Isidro Gonzalez.
United States Patent |
6,488,247 |
Gonzalez |
December 3, 2002 |
Supporting system for air conditioning register boxes
Abstract
A supporting system for air conditioning duct housings or
register boxes including a housing member with perpendicular walls
defining corners and a flat surface on the bottom and a connecting
casing defining an aperture with one or more corner clips that are
removably mounted from the outer surface of the walls. The corner
clip includes a plate with two arms that are receivable within a
longitudinally extending fixed structural member, such as a rail,
provided with a longitudinal channel that has a longitudinal trough
and opening. Resilient raised tabs provided in the arms keep the
latter locked within the channel. Rigid tab members extend
perpendicularly from the inner edges of the arm members and are
lockingly receivable within the housing member through cooperating
slots. A vertex portion between the arm members provides support to
the corners.
Inventors: |
Gonzalez; Isidro (Miami Lakes,
FL) |
Family
ID: |
25413154 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/900,837 |
Filed: |
July 6, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/201;
248/220.1; 248/225.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F
13/0209 (20130101); F24F 13/0254 (20130101); F24F
13/32 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F24F
13/02 (20060101); F24F 13/32 (20060101); F16M
011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/672,674,201,225.21,220.1 ;403/401,402,403,406 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: King; Anita
Assistant Examiner: Wujciak, III; A. Joseph
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sanchelima; J. Bordas; A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A supporting system for air conditioning register boxes
comprising: A) housing means having at least one wall corner
defined by two perpendicularly mounted walls said corner including
first and second ends and said walls including at least one housing
slot on each of said walls, and further including a bottom with a
flat surface joining said corner or corners at one of said ends; B)
a corner clip including a flat plate having first and second arm
portions extending perpendicularly with respect to each other and a
vertex portion joining said first and second arm portions, said
first arm portion including first internal and external edges
extending parallel with respect to each other and being separated a
first predetermined distance, and said second arm portion including
internal and external edges extending parallel with respect to each
other and being separated a second predetermined distance and
further including first and second rigid tab members
perpendicularly mounted to said first and second internal edges,
respectively, said first and second rigid tab members being
receivable within said housing slots, and said vertex portion
co-acting with said flat surface to provide structural support; C)
a fixed structural member including means for receiving and
supporting said first and second external edges thereby providing
support to said housing means.
2. The supporting system set forth in claim 1 wherein said means
for receiving and supporting said first and second external edges
includes a longitudinally extending channel having a longitudinal
opening and a longitudinal trough with cooperative dimensions to
receive said first and second external edges.
3. The supporting system set forth in claim 2 wherein said opening
is resilient and wherein said first and second arm portions include
each a plurality of resilient raised tabs that cammingly deflect
themselves and/or said opening to permit the insertion of said
edges within said trough upon the application of an inwardly
directed force of a predetermined magnitude.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a supporting system for air
conditioning register boxes, and more particularly, to a system
that can be readily mounted to the outside of the box.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many designs for supporting members have been designed in the past
for air conditioning register boxes. None of them, however, permit
a user to mount and/or unmount a box from outside the latter and
without having to disassemble it or reach the supporting system
from inside the duct housing or register box.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to a
product being marketed by Sherer Manufacturing Incorporated (SMI),
12475 North, 44th Street, Clearwater, Fla. 33762, under model Nos.
RAB, RB and RBB. See saler literature attached. However, it differs
from the present invention because inherent in the design is the
lack of flexibility in using or not using the supporting member.
Pre-mounted members may or may not be used. Thus, the need to
over-design the device to anticipate all possibilities for support.
Also, because of the characteristics of the design it cannot mount
a duct housing to a fixed structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a
supporting system that can be readily mounted externally to a duct
housing or register box without disassembling it or requiring from
inside the box.
It is another object of this invention to provide a supporting
assembly that ensures structural integrity by selectively
distributing the boxes' weight as needed.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a system
that can be adapted to different fixed supporting structures.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device
that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its
effectiveness.
Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the
following part of the specification, wherein detailed description
is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without
placing limitations thereon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With the above and other related objects in view, the invention
consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as
will be more fully understood from the following description, when
read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 represents an isometric view of one of the preferred
embodiments for the supporting system object of the present
invention mounted to a rail (shown in phantom).
FIG. 1a is an isometric view of a register box mounted to two
parallel extending rail members.
FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the embodiment represented in
FIG. 1 mounted to a register box (partially represented) as seen
from the bottom.
FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a corner clip used in this
embodiment as part of the support system.
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the corner clip mounted to a
register box (partially represented) and to a fixed rail (also
partially represented).
FIG. 4a is a detail-enlarged view of the locking arrangement of
punched slots with the slot of the housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is
generally referred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it
basically includes corner clip 20 and register housing or box 40
mounted to fixed rail 60. Clip 20 is mounted from outside box 40
and it is not required to have access to its internal space.
Housing 40 has a substantially rectangular shape with four wall
corners 41. Each corner 41 includes two perpendicularly mounted
walls 42 and 44. Housing or box 40 also includes flat surface 46
defining the bottom with casing 49. Casing 49 is designed to
provide a connection surface for other duct components. Wall 42
includes slot 43 starting near corner 41 and disposed in a parallel
and spaced apart relationship with respect to top border 47. Also,
wall 44 includes slot 45 near corner 41 and disposed in a parallel
and spaced apart relationship with respect to top border 48. Slots
43 and 45 are formed by punching out a portion of walls 42 and 44,
respectively.
As seen in FIG. 1, corner clip 20 includes a flat plate 21 with two
arms 22 and 22' perpendicularly disposed with respect to each
other. Comer clip 20 also includes a vertex portion 26 that joins
arms 22 and 22'. Arm 22 has internal edge 23 and external edge 25
extending parallel with respect to each other. In the same manner,
arm 22' has internal edge 23' and external edge 25' extending
parallel with respect to each other. As seen in FIG. 2, vertex
portion 26 co-acts with surface 46 to provide structural support
when corner clip 20 is mounted to housing 40.
Corner clip 20 has rigid tab members 24 and 24' perpendicularly
mounted to internal edges 23 and 23' respectively, as best seen in
FIG. 1. Tab members 24 and 24' are cooperative receivable within
slots 43 and 45 respectively. Tab members 24 (and 24') include
punched slots 28 and 29 (28' and 29') that lock the former to slots
43 and 45, respectively. As it can be best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3,
slot 28 (and 28') is punched outwardly whereas slot 29 (and 29') is
punched inwardly. FIG. 4a shows the locking action of punched slot
28 with the lower wall 43' of housing slot 43 that prevents
upwardly disengagement of clip 20 from housing 40. Punched slot 29
co-acts with upper wall 43" of housing slot 43 to prevent further
downwardly travel of tab 24.
Elongated mounting rail 60 has a longitudinally extending channel
62 which cooperatively receive external edges 25 or 25', and a
portion of arms 22 or 22' providing structural support to housing
40. As best seen in FIG. 4, external edge 25 is received within
trough 66 of channel 62. Arm 22 (and arm 22') is provided with
raised tabs 27 (tabs 27' for arm 22') that are slightly deflected
as they are passed through reduced longitudinal entrance 64 and
brought back to its original raised position when inside trough 66
of channel 62. Entrance 64 is also resilient and deflects slightly
to permit the passage of raised tabs 27 and 27'. In this manner,
fixed rail 60, or other equivalent fixed structure, provides
support for clip 20, which in turn is rigidly attached to register
box 40.
The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the
objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different
embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention.
It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be
interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting
sense.
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